Don't relegate rice to just a side dish, it can take a starring role, too
A storecupboard staple, rice is a healthy grain – and an extremely versatile one at that, with plenty of easy rice recipes to make. If you're looking for healthy foods to eat choose wholegrain rice as it helps to keep your blood sugar levels steady – fantastic for keeping energy levels up if you like to keep fit and active.
Rice salad is great for picnics and lunchboxes and is simple to make. Cook some brown or white rice, rinse with boiling water once cooked and set aside to cool. In the meantime chop up some spring onions, tomatoes, parsley and peppers. Capers and olives are also tasty additions. You can even hard boil some eggs and add them too. Stir in some simple olive oil and lemon juice dressing just before you serve it.
Deliciously comforting, rice pudding (pictured) is easy to make. First, preheat the oven to 170°C/gas mark 3, then stir together some pudding rice, sugar, whole milk, butter and vanilla essence and put in an ovenproof dish. Cook for around 2 hours, stirring occasionally. Serve with a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Sure to fill you up, risotto is great for weekday suppers and can be eaten on its own or with a cooked chicken breast or salmon fillet for added protein.
For a spicy take on rice, why not make Jambalaya. This combination of peppers, chorizo, chilli and prawns is a tasty family favourite!
Egg fried rice is gorgeous as a snack or as part of a Chinese feast! First, cook some white rice and peas and leave them to cool down. Heat some oil in a frying pan and when it’s very hot add the rice, after a few minutes add some chopped spring onion and the peas. Then add a beaten egg, stirring it around so it scrambles and mix it in with the rice.
Create a tasty vegetarian dish by making stuffed peppers. Cook some brown or white rice and preheat the oven to 180°C/gas mark 4, then fry some onion and garlic in a pan, and add some vegetables such as mushrooms and carrots. When cooked, stir in the rice along with some chopped fresh thyme. Cut the tops off the peppers (which need to be able to stand up on their own) and set aside. After removing the white pips, fill the insides with the rice mixture, top with some grated cheese and replace the tops. Stand the peppers on a tray, pour some water around the bases and drizzle with olive oil then cook for about 20 minutes. Or, why not try our recipe for Herby Stuffed Tomatoes?